Whiskey Riot slipped on the mat in front of the 520m boxes as he jumped from box one in last week's heat and the Anthony Azzopardi-trained star is tipped to make amends by winning Saturday night's fourth semi-final of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg.
"He has box five in his semi but there does not appear to be a lot of early pace around him,'' Azzopardi said.
"I could not work out what happened last week but took a photo of the start and it clearly shows Whiskey Riot coming down on his nose as he slipped on the mat.
"Whiskey Riot likes to use a bit of the track so being drawn in the middle, providing he begins as cleanly as he normally does, should suit him.
"If he wins on Saturday there will be a double celebration for his owners as Ready To Riot, the mother of Whiskey Riot, is due to be whelp a litter of pups to Barcia Bale on the same day.''
Mystic Riot (pictured), the GRNSW + Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase winner last October, who also races in the same interests at Whiskey Riot but is trained in Sydney by Peter Lagogiane, has box one but is better suited drawn wide and has been beaten in all three starts from the rails alley.
With the scratching of Crimson Vixen, Miss Splendamiro, a 29.46 heat winner, looms as the toughest for Whiskey Riot to defeat.
Pindari Express, who has not previously drawn box one, holds the key to the second semi-final as she was a sensational 29.41 heat winner and will wear the red rug on Saturday.
Most experts consider Pindari Express better positioned in a wide alley, and Adam Crouch, whose father Andrew trains Jamella Jet, is unsure of how the race will be run.
Jamella Jet roared home to run down Maitland Gold Cup winner Black Forge in 29.83 after coming from box five in his heat.
"Before the semi-final draw someone asked me what box we wanted for Jamella Jet and dad and I said we would like to be drawn outside Irinka Lizzy,'' Adam Crouch said.
"Irinka Lizzy usually comes out running and sure enough, she has box two and Jamella Jet has three, so she could give our dog a clear run to the first turn.
"Jamella Jet is regarded as a slow beginner but he has jumped better at his past couple of starts and if he gets away okay he has a good chance on Saturday.
"But it all depends on where Pindari Express is at the first turn, because he is such a fast dog.''
Best value in the Easter Egg semis could be Rockstar Steffi, who has box eight in the third qualifying race.
Rockstar Steffi Chased Fernando Blaster all the way when beaten just over five lengths in 29.40, the fastest of the heats, and connections believe trhe move from box four last week to box eight on Saturday boosts her prospects.
Tom Dailly, whose wife Andrea trains Rockstar Steffi, said: "Steffi likes room to move so having the extreme outside draw will suit her.''
Favourite for this semi-final is the Peter Lagogiane-trained Federal Lilly, who reeled off dazzling sectional times en route to her 29.45 all-the-way heat win.
Federal Lilly had box five last week and although she has box seven on Saturday, she has a good record from outside draws.
Before last week's heats Jason Thompson, whose wife Seona trains Black Opium, said she preferred to be drawn wide, and their greyhound showed great tenacity to come from box eight and run down Caitlyn Keeping to win in 29.84.
Black Opium has come up with box eight again in this week's first semi-final, where fastest qualifier Fernando Blaster, who began brilliantly from box seven last Saturday, has drawn awkwardly in box three.
Best Bet Black Opium (race 1)
Best Value Rockstar Steffi (race 3)
Quaddie race 5 - 8, 2, 6
Race 6 - 1, 2, 3
Race 7 - 1, 2
Race 8 - 7, 5, 3
$20 for 37.03%
